1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sports nets for portable soccer goals, street hockey goals, and the like, and more particularly to such a net that can be quickly mounted and detached from a goal frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional manner of attaching a ball-retaining net to portable soccer and street hockey goals involves draping a net over the rear of the goal frame and then fastening the perimeter of the net to the frame members using string ties. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,53,733, for example.
In some cases the net perimeter portion is wrapped round adjoining frame member and then fastened to itself using a number of ring clips, safety pins and the like. Of course, at the end of play, to detach the net, the attachment steps are reversed. It is not surprising that such methods and apparatus can make the net attachment and detachment task one that can be awkward, painstaking and relatively time-consuming, and additionally , the various fasteners and clips are often lost or misplaced.
The prior art reveals several efforts at alleviating some of the problem associated with attaching and removing sports nets. The approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,266 regarding soccer goals is to secure longitudinally extending C-shaped channels to surfaces of the goal frame, and to provide a plurality of hanger elements spaced long the net perimeter, the hangers being insertable in the C-shaped channels so as to removably mount the net.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,494 a number of metal hooks are paced apart along a net perimeter to support the net on frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,889 shows number of straps extending outwardly from the net perimeter, whereby each strap can the looped around adjoining goal frame members and removably secured to itself using a snap latch.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,586 sleeves of mesh material along the net perimeter receive the tubular posts of a goal. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,167 the net is supported from a frame by a number of spaced-apart rings, similar to the way a shower curtain is attached to a curtain rod. Despite the various advantages that may be brought by some developments in the prior art, they are not without their drawbacks, thus the need remains for improvements.